We just got back from a nice looong walk up to the store. And I know walking is great for me and everything. But sometimes? I really hate it. Mariah and Ian do it like its nothing while I’m wheezing behind them shoving the stroller along at much slower pace. Before you think I’m a big wimp, let me tell you this: my mother used to criticize me for “not taking my kids on a daily walk.” Okay, so yesterday she was in town and we went for a walk. Not even halfway up the hill, she was complaining. She gets it now. Walking these streets is hard freakin’ work for out of shape mamas.

You still think I’m a wimp, don’t you? Feast your eyes on this:

Thats the view point fro the top of our hill. Its drops down steeply from that point. To get to the store, you meander down it and struggle (well, I do) your way up the other side. Allll the way up. And that hill continues, too. Then on the way back I have to do the lean-backwards-so-I-don’t-have-to-race-the-stroller-downhill walk.
Oh, and on both sides of that road? Cow pasture. Yeah, now you know what I mean when I say we live in hick town. Farms, right IN the town. And no, not on the outskirts. Actually in it. Yeah.. Anyway! Its not so bad of a walk if you’re IN shape. Maybe a mile all together. I’m going to try to walk it every day because my body needs it, even if my mind rebels it.

Here’s another view from the top of the hill:

Lots of cute plump cows just doing their thing. They’re pretty friendly, too. Mariah fed some of them handfuls of grass for awhile. Then she spotted someone with puppies and that was the end of that. By the time we got back from the store, she pet a total of six puppies. Which makes it a pretty great day for her.

Oh, while we were at the store, we were standing in this aisle looking at Mexican food. Mariah was babbling along about something (probably the fact that the opposite side of the aisle was candy) when someone in the next aisle over said “Mariah!”

“Did you hear that?” I whispered to Ian.

“It’s probably just someone else who has a daughter named Mariah.”

Hmm, maybe. We continued browsing and all of a sudden Mariah yells “ALL RIGHT!” Don’t ask me why. She just randomly yells things.

“ALL RIGHT!” is echoed back from the other aisle.

Okay, someone is clearly messing with us. Didn’t they know we just survived the walk from Hell took a leisurely stroll and some of us were still recovering, thus in no mood whatsoever?

We rounded the corner and there was A.J. and Meghan with their little boy, grinning their heads off.

Here’s a photo of the sunset, which I love.

Also updated on the site: the ‘about’ section. Subpages added: Gabriel, Ian, Mariah, Contact and Other sites.

Two weeks from tomorrow my little man turns 6 months old. Where did the time go?! Here’s some of his accomplishments as of late:

- Sits up by himself
- Can pick up his bottle and feed himself
- Rolls over (and over and over and over..)
- Inches along on his belly
- Speaks first word “mama”
- Speaks second word “dada” (which he now refers to BOTH of us as)
- Starting to teethe

There’s probably others but I can’t remember them right now.

Yesterday was my lazy day. I sat on the computer and fiddled around for awhile. I paid off the rest of my schooling, bought Ian a birthday present (June 13th - he’ll be 26!) and surfed eBay for awhile. I really want a copy of Sims 2 Deluxe for a decent price, but everyone on eBay keeps thwarting me. And there’s no way I’m paying over $15 for a used game, so I just let them outbid me. I’d rather buy a new one instead of paying that price.

After I got bored of doing that, I decided to take Gabriel for a walk (Mar was at her grandma’s). Right as I was getting him dressed and ready to go, my mom showed up to drop off the car seat she’d forgotten to give back to us. So the three of us took a walk to the mailbox, which is quite a walk since we live in a trailer park. It’d be about the length of four-five city blocks. Then we walked uptown (another long walk) to the grocery store because I needed hamburger for dinner. By the time we got back home, I was more than ready to crash into my chair.

Today? I’m going through clothes of Mariah’s and Gabe’s that don’t fit them anymore. I’m planning on having a rummage sale one of these upcoming weekends, and whatever I don’t sell, my mom is going to give to her friend Kathy for the kids in Africa since Kathy is deployed there (she’s a nurse).

Well, my dad just got here with food, so I’m going to go stuff my face!

Later!